Several politicians have lost their lives before or during elections. Some were murdered in a gruesome manner while others died of unknown causes.
It is not new to hear that a candidate running for political office was murdered. Nigerians are used to hearing such news and all they can do is just shake their heads and move on.
Among those who have lost their lives before or during elections are potential governorship candidates. They had the intention of being state governors but did not live to see it come to pass.
NAIJ.com brings you a list of six potential gubernatorial candidates who lost their lives before they had the opportunity of being governors.
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1. Isiaka Adeleke
Adeleke died of heart attack 0on Sunday, April 23
Adeleke, the first civilian governor of Osun state died of heart attack and was rushed to Bikets Hospital where he passed away on Sunday, April 23. The death of the two time senator representing Osun West has been trailed with controversies. Some are insinuating it was a political assassination. His son, Tunji in a Snapchat outburst claimed his dad was not sick before he died and that he was killed because of his ambition to become the next governor of his state. However, report has it that the doctor at the hospital, Alfred Aderibigbe, injected him with overdose of painkillers, which led to his death.
2. Abubakar Audu
Audu's sudden death was trailed by controversy
Death came knocking in Kogi state as they were heading to the polls to elect a governor. Audu, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress surprising died on November 22, 2015, few hours before he would have been announced as the winner of the election. He suddenly took ill shortly after casting his vote and returned home. Shortly after, report surfaced that he was dead. Several reasons were adduced to explain his untimely death. Some said he was a victim of food poisoning as he was said to vomit blood before dying. Others said he died of cardiac arrest after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the election inconclusive.
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3. Otunba Dipo Dina
Suspected assassins shot and killed him on January 25, 2010
Popularly called DD-Direct, the AC governorship candidate in 2007 was shot and killed by suspected assassins on January 25, 2010. The administrator, philantropist and a community leader from Ijebu Ode was killed around Covenant University, Ota, Ogun state. He contested in the 2007 governorship election but was defeated by the Gbenga Daniel of the Peoples Democratic Party who was going for second term in office.
4. Funsho Williams
Williams dream of becoming the governor of Lagos state was shattered by unknown assailants
This time, death came for the Lagos PDP governorship aspirant, Engineer Funsho Williams. The state was preparing for the 2007 election and Williams’ popularity had grown. He was obviously the people’s favourite. Unfortunately, his dream of becoming the governor of Lagos state was shattered by unknown assailants. They invaded his home in Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, on July 27, 2006. Autopsy later revealed he was strangled to death. The police are yet to identify his killers, about 11 years after.
5. Dr. Ayo Daramola
Daramola was murdered in his house in Ijan Ekiti
The former World Bank consultant and PDP governorship aspirant in Ekiti state was murdered on August 14 2006. He was to represent the party in the 2007 gubernatorial election in the state but was his dreams were shattered. He was murdered in his house in Ijan Ekiti three weeks after the death of Funsho Williams. The police is said to still be investigating the murder.
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6. Dele Arojo
The PDP gubernatorial aspirant became one of the victims of political assassinations in the country. He was killed by unknown assailants in Lagos on November 25, 2002. It was looking as though he would be the next Lagos state governor but sadly he was murdered before he could actualize his dream.
The NAIJ.com video below shows Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state showing how men should treat their wives.